“There’s no way that this is true!” - said the principal after reading a letter from one of their former teachers. His hands were shaking, and he was about to burst into tears.
Most of the teachers who knew this wonderful woman couldn't believe it either. "Genevieve would never do such a thing!" - whisperings in the hallways were heard. Even though it was hard to believe, the horrific news they received that day was actually true!
Who Was Genevieve Via Cava?
To those who knew Genevieve, she was an ordinary lady from New Jersey. Nobody really knew anything about her personal life because she kept her affairs private.
She had been teaching for nearly five decades before she retired, so she had met many students in her teaching career. In everybody’s minds, she was just an ordinary teacher who led an ordinary life. However, there was something that this woman had been hiding from the world all these years...
She Loved Her Students
All the students who had her as a teacher can only say good things about Genevieve. This was how much this lady was well-loved in the classroom and the school. One student even said, “Ms. Genevieve was one of the best teachers I’ve had, and she was one of a kind.”
Genevieve loved teaching, and it really shows how much she handled all the students in her care. “You never know what each child might be facing outside of the school, so we have to be kind to them,” she would say to her co-teachers. Everybody looked up to Genevieve, especially her students. Were they wrong about her?
The Students Looked Up to Her
Whenever any student was asked who their favorite teacher was, there was only one answer: Genevieve. She was a favorite among all the teachers, and there was no wonder why. She loved all her students, and in return, her students admired her extremely.
She was a legend in their school, and people dreaded the day that she would have to retire. One student also said, “There’s no other teacher like Ms. Genevieve because you can feel that she really cares about her students.” This was a well-known fact.
A Very Frugal Woman
Another well-known fact at the school was that Genevieve wasn’t really that well off. She wasn’t poor, that’s for sure, but people knew that she wasn’t rich either. Genevieve was just an ordinary lady with a teacher’s wage, and during that time, a teacher’s wage wasn’t that much.
She could be seen wearing old clothes, and she was always driving her modest car. So nobody suspected that something was amiss, and they would all be shocked at future revelations concerning their favorite teacher. Not only that, but nobody thought it odd that she had no other living relatives…
She Had No Relatives
Whenever she was asked about her family, she would simply say, “They all died a very long time ago.” Genevieve didn’t like talking about her family, so nobody really knew anything about them. Some people found it odd, but they respected the privacy that the teacher wanted to have around her familial affairs.
She would also say, “I don’t have any family, but the students and my co-teachers are more than enough.” Genevieve really considered the school her home and her co-teachers as her family. People thought that that was a really beautiful thing.
Dedicating Her Life to Teaching
Since becoming a teacher, Genevieve has spent countless hours in the school, and she has met numerous students. She was a great educator, and people loved to be in her class. Every single student fought hard to be in Genevieve’s class; that was how well-loved she was in the school.
In return, she dedicated her life to teaching because it was all she knew how to do. “I couldn’t see myself not being a teacher,” she told one of her students in their class. She added, “It was like I was born to educate young learners like you.”
Becoming a SPED Teacher
In the last decade of her career, Genevieve became a special education teacher. She knew she could do so much more for her students, so she rose to the challenge. She told the principal, “I’m sure that I can do it. I would love to teach these amazing children.”
That was how she became a special education teacher, and this was a role that she loved even more. She knew how fragile and special the children in her care were, so she taught them in the best way possible. The children flourished in Genevieve’s care, so their parents couldn’t be more grateful.
She Loved Her Profession
Genevieve loved being a teacher, and she knew that this was a profession that she was born to do. She knew that she did the right thing by studying to become a teacher, and she couldn’t be prouder of herself. She was living her ultimate dream.
As the years have passed, Genevieve became more and more popular in the school. All the students wanted to be in her class, and all the parents were grateful to have a teacher like her in their district. Not only that, but her co-teachers looked up to Genevieve like a maternal figure – she loved it.
A Worthwhile Retirement
After nearly five decades of teaching in New Jersey, the time came when Genevieve had to retire. It was a sad affair because the school was about to lose an amazing educator, but she was happy to have been a part of so many people’s lives. She was a treasured figure in their school, and she couldn’t be happier.
One person asked her what she was going to do next, so she said, “I think I’m going to rest for a bit and maybe take a very long nap.” Everybody laughed at this remark because they knew that Genevieve would always come back to the hallways of their school. Little did they know that they were right…
One Important Question
During the very last day of her teaching career, one student asked a very important question. She asked, "Ms. Genevieve, how did you know that you've always wanted to become a teacher?"
This was a question that Genevieve thought about, but deep inside, she knew that she already had the answer. She told her student, "I knew I had wanted to become a teacher at a very young age. I always taught my siblings their homework, and even though some of them stopped studying, I would always make sure that they're knowledgable."
A Natural-Born Educator
Genevieve thought about her students' questions, and this somehow kept her awake that particular night. She thought about the first time she taught her siblings their homework and how none of them were alive today. It felt bittersweet, but she was still grateful.
It had been nearly six decades since she graduated from teaching school and a good fifty years since she first started teaching in New Jersey. It had been a great career, and it was one of her biggest accomplishments. However, she would sometimes think that maybe if she had not been too busy, she could've built a family of her own...
She Had Been Too Busy
Genevieve couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy whenever she saw her co-teachers talking about their families. She wasn't a very jealous woman, but she often wondered how nice it was to be surrounded by relatives who admired and loved you.
Genevieve doesn't have any living relatives today, and most of her siblings died during World War II. It wasn't a thought that she liked to look back on, but she did always think fondly of them. She often wondered what their lives would've been like if they had not died too young. Although, did Genevieve ever think about building her own family?
No More Time to Build a Family
Genevieve was a very selfless woman, and her colleagues thought that this was why she never married. She had been single for the better part of her life, but this wasn't always the case...
Before the war began, Genevieve loved a man. However, like most young men during that time, this lover had been sent to war only never to return home. This made her forget any romantic affiliations that she could ever have with men, and she focused her time on teaching instead. This is probably why she did this next thing...
She Often Visited
Genevieve loved the school so much that she would often come back to check on her old students and former co-teachers. Nobody thought this was weird or annoying because everybody loved to have her around. Before leaving for the day, she would say, “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
It was as if she wasn’t retired at all because she would come back to the school as often as she could. This was something that was natural to her, and the school was like her home. Genevieve loved to be with her students, and she didn’t like being retired.
They Loved Having Her Around
All the staff in her old school would always look forward to the day when Genevieve would come and visit. It was as if she was a force of nature – everybody adored her, and everyone loved to have her around. This school was her happy place.
Not only did Genevieve roam the hallways of her old school, but she would sometimes sit in one of the classes because she felt that this made her belong again. She couldn't let go of teaching, and she didn't really want to. Sometimes some of her colleagues would ask her for favors, and she didn't mind at all...
She Was a Loving Maternal Figure
Every student at the school lovingly looked up to Genevieve as a maternal figure. She was the one who had always been there for them, and even the alumni of their school kept on coming back to check on their favorite teacher. She was loved much more than she knew.
More often than not, her co-teachers would ask Genevieve if she wanted to teach with them. Her old colleagues knew that she was looking for something to do, and so they would allow her to tag along in some of her classes. This made Genevieve ecstatic, but it wasn't enough.
It Was As If She Wasn't Retired
One day, the principal saw Genevieve roaming around the halls of the school. He asked her, "Ms. Genevieve, why don't you go relax at the teacher's lounge and have a chat with some of your former colleagues?"
Genevieve knew that she would always be welcomed in the school, and she felt really grateful. However, one incident would thwart her daily visitations, and this would shake her life forever...
A Minor Accident
As Genevieve was walking down the stairs, she lost her balance, and she ended up falling. Some people witnessed this accident, and they immediately rushed to the teacher's aid. They all asked her, "Ms. Genevieve, are you okay?"
Genevieve could feel the pain in her body, but she didn't want the children to worry about her. So she simply smiled at them and said, "I'm okay. Although I would appreciate it if someone took me to the nurse." What would happen to Genevieve now?
People Tried to Discourage Her
Genevieve was rushed to the nurse's office, and she was treated with the utmost care. The injury she sustained from her fall was minor, but her colleagues soon realized that it might be time for Genevieve to stay at home and limit her school visitations. This clearly broke her heart.
The principal said, "Ms. Genevieve, you know that we love having you around, but this isn't safe anymore. You're retired, and you need to stay at home and enjoy your retirement. We love you, and we would always want what's best for you."
A Few Days of Rest
According to her doctor, Genevieve needed to go home and rest for a few days. He also said, "You're retired now, so you should be doing things outside of the school. Don't let this hinder you from living your life, Ms. Genevieve."
Genevieve knew that what the doctor was saying was true, and she needed to do something outside of her comfort zone. Still, she couldn't help but wonder how her students and former colleagues would cope without her there...
She Grew Restless
As the days passed, Genevieve felt more and more restless. She knew that she had to stay home, but she also missed the school she spent nearly half of her life in. It was pretty evident that she was getting sadder by the day...
Some of her former colleagues tried to visit her, but she knew they would soon stop. After all, why would they keep on visiting her if they knew that she would be gone in a few years? This was the thought that crept up in Genevieve's head, and she could never foresee what was to come!
Everybody Loved Her
Her former students knew that she was sad, so they brought gifts to Genevieve’s home just to show the old teacher how special she was in their lives. She loved having people over because she lived alone, and she didn’t want to feel like she was missing out on all the fun. Her students would often say, “Come visit us in class, Ms. Genevieve.”
Even her neighbors would often bring the old teacher some food – that was how well-loved she was. She would always say, “Thank you so much for everything you’re all doing. I really appreciate it.” Genevieve was a force of nature, and everybody admired her for it.
She Wanted to Come Visit
On one occasion, Genevieve asked the principal if she could come to visit. Naturally, she was always welcome in the school, but they were still worried about the old lady's health.
So the principal told her, "If you can prove to us that you're doing better, then we're going to pick you up next week, and you can spend the day in school." Genevieve's eyes lit up, and she said, "I'll take it. You've got yourselves a deal!" She couldn't be more excited, but another mishap came up...
Time and Health Weren't Her Friends
Genevieve was so excited to spend another day in her happy place, so she tried her best to stay healthy. This was the deal that she made with the principal, so she tried to keep up with her side of the bargain. Although, something happened to her one afternoon...
As she was gardening, Genevieve slipped and broke her hips. Thankfully there were people walking by, so they saw the old lady struggling. Genevieve might never survive this deathly fall if it weren't for these people.
She Tried to Get Better
Genevieve refused to give up, and she didn't want to stay stuck in a hospital bed. She knew that her fall was quite bad and that she was in no shape to even go home. So this made her a bit sad.
She wanted to get better so she could go home and maybe even visit the school she loved so much. Genevieve took everything that her doctors told her seriously, and she tried to motivate herself. Little did she know that her co-teachers were planning something for her...
One Last Visit
Everybody in her school visited Genevieve at least once. The people knew that this might be the last time they would ever see this beautiful soul, so they really took this opportunity to tell her how she had been such a great role model in their life. Naturally, this touched Genevieve.
According to her, this was probably one of the happiest moments of her life. She wasn't feeling that much better physically, but she had the people that she loved around her. Not only that, but her doctor told her that she could also go home that week, so it was a win-win!
A Few Months Passed
One day, Genevieve stopped calling the school, and nobody had seen her for quite a long time. So her neighbors knew that something must be wrong. This was why they called the police to make sure that the old teacher was alright.
When the police arrived at Genevieve’s house, their worst fears were confirmed; she was dead. She apparently died peacefully in her sleep, and this was the consolation that her bereaved friends took. After all, she was 88 years old, and she had lived such a beautiful and joyful life.
A Deathly Surprise
The old teacher’s funeral was a big affair in their town – she was well-loved and well-received in her community. So a lot of her old students and co-teachers wanted to pay tribute to Genevieve for the last time. It was a somber yet beautiful affair.
A few days after the funeral, the school’s principal received a letter from Genevieve. The principal said, “This is so odd. Why would Genevieve send a letter a few weeks after her death?” They thought it was a sick joke, but their hearts would stop once they saw what was inside.
The Last Hurrah
Genevieve knew that she was dying, so she wrote a letter to her former co-teachers at the school. She wanted to give them something to remember her by, and so she mailed it a few days before she died in her sleep.
The principal thought it was a sick joke, but he instantly recognized Genevieve's handwriting. He couldn't help but tear up, and his heart would stop once he realized what was attached to the letter. It was Genevieve's last surprise, and she went out with a bang!
Nobody Suspected a Thing
The content of the letter was kept hidden by the principal because Genevieve’s death was fairly recent. He also didn’t want his co-workers to suspect that something was amiss. Everybody loved the old teacher, but they had no idea that she was even capable of doing such a thing.
In everyone’s minds, Genevieve was just an ordinary teacher who earned a fairly decent wage. They had no idea that when the time came, she was capable of shocking everyone by doing something so extraordinary.
An Unexpected Letter
“You’ll never believe what Genevieve told me in her letter,” the principal told the staff during one of their meetings. He simply couldn't hold the secret any longer, and he felt like he needed to share what Genevieve told her.
In that same meeting, the principal read the content of Genevieve's letter. This caused such uproar and confusion from the people in the room. How did this happen, and how was this even possible?
People Were Shocked
For nearly six decades, Genevieve has been such a loving figure in the school. Her friends and former colleagues thought they knew everything about this old lady. Little did they know that they were wrong.
What she did was unexpected yet very touching. Until the very end, Genevieve was thinking about the school and the people she had shared her life's work with. It was a very moving tribute, and even in death, her former co-teachers loved her all the more. So what was in the letter?
Her Generous Donation
A few weeks after her funeral, the letter from Genevieve arrived at the principal’s office. Upon opening the letter, the principal said, “Genevieve left us USD 1,000,000!” This was something that nobody saw coming because Genevieve was living such a modest life.
Nobody knew that Genevieve was rich, and they weren’t aware that she was capable of leaving the school with such a huge amount of money. Even the principal was shocked but excited to see the check in his hands – it was such a helpful donation. He asked, "Where did this come from and what should we do with this money?"
Where Was the Money From?
One of the teachers said, "I never knew that Genevieve was rich. She wasn't the type to talk about money nor her family, so I had no idea." The others agreed in unison. Genevieve never talked about her family or past, so they were all left in the dark.
Apparently, the old teacher inherited quite a fortune when her parents died. Since her siblings had been killed in the war, Genevieve was left as the sole heir. Unfortunately, she never had children of her own, so all her fortune was left to the people she loved most: her co-teachers and her students.
The Teachers Were Hesitant
Most of the teachers were still hesitant because they felt bad knowing that Genevieve saved this money to give to the school. The principal said, "If I knew she had all this money, I would've urged her to take a trip or a relaxing holiday. She never wanted to do anything for herself, and I feel a bit bad about that."
Another teacher said, "I don't think Genevieve wants us to feel bad. She left the school with this money because she believed in us, and she believed in the power of education. I think I might have the perfect idea on where we should use this money..."
Coming Up with a Plan
The teachers have decided that they were going to spend the money Genevieve left them with wisely. At first, they might've been a bit hesitant, but they realized that this money could help many lives – so they went to work.
What better way to preserve Genevieve's legacy than by creating something that fits the school she loved most? The teachers kept on working to create the perfect legacy, and one day, they were finally ready to announce what they all had been working on.
A Scholarship in Her Honor
The principal announced that they were going to create a scholarship using the money that was donated by Genevieve. They knew that the old teacher would love her money to go towards such a great cause. Plus, she loved her students, and she knew that she wanted to help them in any way she could.
One of the students said, “This is such a great idea. I know that Ms. Genevieve would love that too.” Everybody had tears in their eyes, and they all remembered their wonderful co-worker and teacher. They all knew that Genevieve was smiling from above.
The School’s Fairy Godmother
Now, the scholarship made in Genevieve’s name has helped countless students maintain and finish their education. She has made a long-lasting impact in her school and in the lives of the students she has taught. Genevieve will never be forgotten.
It shows that while we may not know the people around us that well, there is still that kindness that exists. Genevieve is the perfect example of this, and her legacy carries on with the students she has helped.
A True Legend
Every teacher she has worked with and student she has taught is a legacy that remains in Genevieve's honor. She was a beautiful lady with an extraordinary heart, and she loved what she did with her life. In the end, she still did everything she could to make the school she loved most so much better.
Genevieve’s story is a reminder that even the simplest person can be a hero. If she can do it, then you surely can do it too. Just believe in your dreams, work hard, and make an impact in the lives of the people around you.